What Makes The Lord Jesus So Unique?

Text: Matt. 1:21; 16:16; Luke 2:40, 52; John 1:14, 15, 27, 30; 8:58; Phil. 2:6-8; Titus 2:13, 14

Theme: We believe in the divinity and humanity of the Person of Jesus Christ.

Relevance:

Why is Jesus Christ so important?

If we don’t understand why the Lord Jesus’ divinity and humanity are so important, we will have an inadequate ability to know Him and appreciate Him. We will have an insufficient understanding of how much He loves us and how much He has done for us. We will not be in a position to be changed by Him to the degree that we would if we understood more fully why He matters. (Anders)

Why do we need to know about The Lord Jesus?

Today, there is no common understanding of who Jesus Christ is. Many people make up their own definition of who He is. Some reject one aspect or another of His nature and Person. We must be sure we are talking about the same person when we address the question, “Who is the Person of Jesus Christ?” (Anders)

Introduction:

The nature of Christ's existence is mysterious, I admit; but this mystery meets the wants of man-reject it and the world is an inexplicable riddle; believe it, and the history of our race is satisfactorily explained. • Napoleon

The uniqueness of Christianity is the Person, Jesus Christ, and the distinctiveness of Christ is the fact that He is the God-man. In other words, He is a divine-human Being, something unique in time and eternity. It is also a concept very difficult to understand, for we have no basis for comparison with another God-man in history nor do we get any help from our experience. Yet this is not a dogma imposed on us simply to receive without question; it is a conclusion which grows out of the evidence in the Bible. –A Survey of Bible Doctrine

If you were to ask ten people at random who Jesus is, you would probably get ten different answers. To some, He is merely a man, like any other human being. To others, he is a great moral teacher, the founder of one of the world’s great religions. To others, he is a madman, instigator of much of the evil in the world (consider the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the religious wars, the “colonialistic evangelism and corruption” of Third-World cultures). Others have no idea who He is, and still others believe He never existed. To many, He is nothing but a name to curse and swear by. Therefore, as the starting point for our study of Him, we must agree on who and what we mean when we say “Jesus.”

When I say “Jesus,” I mean that He is the Son of God, the second member of the Trinity who existed before the creation of the world, who participated with the Father and the Holy Spirit in creation, and who became human. This Jesus of Nazareth, being born of a virgin, came to earth to do the will of God the Father. He died for our sins, came to life again, was bodily resurrected, ascended into heaven, and will come again some day to judge sin and establish permanent righteousness on earth. –Max Anders

Lesson:

I.                   The Preexistence of Jesus Christ—Why believe Jesus existed before Bethlehem?

The eternality and deity of Christ are inseparably connected and interrelated. To deny His preexistence automatically rejects His deity. If the deity of Christ is an established biblical truth, then His preexistence is equally validated. The Lord Jesus lived in eternity past and had an entire career before He was born in Bethlehem two thousand years ago.

A.     The Assertions of His Preexistence—Where does the Bible Actually say Jesus always existed?

1.Note what the Apostle John said (Jn. 1:1).

                                                                     i.            John 1:1. The word “was” in the phrase, “In the beginning was the Word,” stresses continual existence in past time. It means, “In the beginning the Word was continually existing.” He did not have a beginning Himself, but existed from all eternity. As far as the human mind can go back, the Lord Jesus was there. He never was created. He had no beginning. 

                                                                   ii.            “The Word was with God” in a special relationship of eternal fellowship in the Trinity. The word “with” suggests “in company with” (see 1:2; 1Thes. 1:3, 4; 1 John 1:2). In eternity past the Father (God) and the Son (the Word) have always been in loving communion with each other. Thus the Word is eternal; the Word has always been in relationship to the Father; and the Word is God.

                                                                  iii.            See also John 8:58.

2.Note what John the Baptist said (Jn. 1:15).

                                                                     i.            Jesus came after John as far as His birth and ministry were concerned. He was born six months after John [Luke 1:36] and presented Himself to the people of Israel some time after John had been preaching and baptizing.

                                                                   ii.            But Jesus was preferred before John. He was greater than John; He was worthy of more honor, the simple reason being that He was before John. He existed from all eternity—the Son of God. –Believer's Bible Commentary

3.Note what the Apostle Paul said (Phil. 2:6-8; Heb. 1:8).

                                                                     i.            Christ Jesus was “in the form of God;” He existed from all eternity as God (Phil. 2:6). It is not that He merely resembled God, but that He actually is God in the truest sense.

                                                                   ii.            Phil. 2:6. Yet He did not consider it “robbery to be equal with God.” Here it is of utmost importance to distinguish between personal and positional equality with God. As to His Person, Christ always was, is, and will be equal with God. It would be impossible for Him to give that up. But positional equality is different. From all eternity Christ was positionally equal with His Father, enjoying the glories of heaven. But He did not consider this position something that He had to hold on to at all costs. When a world of lost mankind needed to be redeemed, He was willing to relinquish His positional equality with God—the comforts and joys of heaven. He did not consider them something that He had to grasp forever and under all circumstances.

                                                                  iii.            Hebrews 1:8. Quoting from Ps. 45:6, 7, the deity and the lordship of the Son over creation (v. 3) is declared. This is all the more significant since the declaration of the Son’s deity is presented as the words of the Father Himself (see also Is. 9:6; Jer. 23:5, 6; John 5:18; Titus 2:13; 1 John 5:20). Therefore, the statement, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever,” is a reference to the eternality of Christ.

4.Note what the Apostle Peter said (1Pet. 1:20).

                                                                     i.            Christ’s redemption work for us was no afterthought on God’s part. The Redeemer was destined to die for us before the creation of the world. Clearly this presupposes His preexistence and eternality. But at the end of the dispensation of law, He appeared from heaven to rescue us from our former way of life. This payment for sin was planned before the Creation of the world and revealed for people’s sake through the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. The already existing Word became a man. As a result of God’s eternal plan and priceless payment for sin, faith and hope can be placed in Him.

                                                                   ii.            Peter adds these considerations to impress us even more deeply with the importance of making a clean break with the world system from which Christ died to deliver us. We are in the world but not of it. We must not isolate ourselves from unregenerate men, but rather carry the gospel to them. Yet in our dealings and relationships with them, we must never share in or condone their sins. We are to show by our lives that we are children of God. The moment we become like the world, our testimony is weakened. There is no incentive for the unsaved to be converted if they cannot see a difference—a change for the better in our lives.

5.Note what the Lord Jesus said (Jn. 6:38, 51, 61, 62; 17:5). 

                                                                     i.            John 6:37, 38. In verse 37, the Lord Jesus said that all of God’s plans would eventually be fulfilled with regard to the salvation of those who were given to Him. Since this was the Father’s will, the Lord would personally undertake to bring it to pass, as His mission was to do the will of God. “[I came down from heaven]” said Christ, clearly teaching that He did not begin His life in the manger at Bethlehem. Rather, He existed from all eternity with God the Father in heaven. Coming into the world, He was the obedient Son of God. He voluntarily took the place of a servant in order to carry out the will of His Father. This does not mean that He did not have a will of His own, but rather that His own will was in perfect agreement with the will of God. –Believer's Bible Commentary

                                                                   ii.            John 17:5. He repeated His request for a return to His pristine glory with the Father (see John 17:1) based on the certainty of the finished work on the cross. –Walvoord, John

                                                                  iii.            John 17:5. Before Christ came into the world, He dwelt in heaven with the Father. When the angels looked upon the Lord, they saw all the glory of Deity. To every eye, He was obviously God. But when He came among men, the glory of Deity was veiled. Though He was still God, it was not apparent to most onlookers. They saw Him merely as the carpenter’s Son. Here, the Savior is praying that the visible manifestation of His glory in heaven might be restored. The words [“glorify Thou Me with Thine own self”] mean “glorify Me in Your presence in heaven. Let the original glory which I shared with You before My Incarnation be resumed.” This clearly teaches the pre-existence of Christ. –MacDonald, William

B.     The Activities of His Preexistence—What did Jesus do before His Bethlehem Birth?

1.He Created the Universe (Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2, 10).

2.He was Controlling the Universe (Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:17).

3.He shared Communion with the Father (John 17:23, 24).

4.He appeared Occasionally as the Angel of the Lord (Gen. 18:1; Judges 13:15-23; Dan. 3:25).

II.                The Deity of Jesus Christ—Why believe Jesus is truly God?

Jesus is the Son of God (John 1:1, 14). What Jesus taught and what he did are tied inseparably to who he is. The Bible shows Jesus as fully human and fully God. Although Jesus took upon himself full humanity and lived as a man, he never ceased to be the eternal God who has always existed, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and the source of eternal life. This is the truth about Jesus, and the foundation of all truth. If we cannot or do not believe this basic truth, we will not have enough faith to trust our eternal destiny to him. That is why John wrote this Gospel—to build faith and confidence in Jesus Christ so that we may believe that he truly was and is the Son of God (20:30-31). –The Handbook of Bible Application

A.     It is Declared in the Old Testament—Where does the Old Testament say Jesus is God?

1.David Declared Christ’s Deity (Ps. 45:6, 7; 110:1).

                                                                     i.            Psalm 45:6-7 undoubtedly refers to the promise of an eternal throne for the house of David (cf. 2 Sam. 7:16) which will be fulfilled in Jesus Christ when He returns to reign forever. Hebrews 1:8-9 quotes this passage in reference to the exaltation and dominion of Christ. –Walvoord, John

a.       King Jesus is seated on the throne of His glory in Jerusalem. The voice of God is heard from heaven addressing Him as God and certifying His reign as an eternal Person. We know it is the voice of God, because Hebrews 1:8, 9 tells us so. This is one of the clearest proofs of the deity of Christ in the entire Bible. It is not only true that Christ’s throne is divine, but also that He Himself is God.

b.      Christ’s kingdom will last forever. After His reign of one thousand years on earth, His earthly kingdom will merge into “the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:11). Messiah will rule with absolute holy justice because the King loves righteousness and hates wickedness.

                                                                   ii.            Psalm 110:1. The key to understanding this lies in identifying the two distinct persons referred to by the name of “Lord.” The first use of the word refers unmistakably to Jehovah.  The other word “Lord” is the Hebrew adon and means “master” or “ruler.” It was sometimes used as a name of God and sometimes applied to a human master. The words that follow show that David’s Lord (Adon) was equal with God.

a.       One day when Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees in Jerusalem, He asked them “What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?” (Matt. 22:42). He wanted to know what they believed concerning the identity of the Messiah. From whom would the Promised One be descended? They answered correctly that He would be “the Son of David” (v. 42). But Jesus showed them that according to Psalm 110 (which they acknowledged to be messianic) the Messiah would also be David’s “Lord” (v. 43). How could He be David’s “Lord” and David’s “Son” at the same time? And how could David, the king, have someone who was his “Lord” on earth?

b.      The answer of course was that the Messiah would be both God and Man. As God, He would be David’s Lord. As Man, He would be David’s Son. And Jesus Himself, combining in His Person both deity and humanity, was David’s Master and David’s Son.

c.       It was the moment of truth for the Pharisees. Yet in spite of all the evidence, they were unwilling to acknowledge Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. So we read: “And no man was able to answer Him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask Him any more questions” (Matt. 22:41–46; cf. Mark 12:35–37; Luke 20:41–44).

2.Isaiah Declared Christ’s Deity (Isa. 9:6).

                                                                     i.            Isaiah 9:6 The First Advent is described in verse 6a:

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.” The first clause speaks of His humanity, the second of His deity. The next part of the verse points forward to the Second Advent: “the government shall be upon His shoulder” — He will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.

a.       The rest of the verse describes His personal glories:

“His name shall be called Wonderful” — this name is a noun, not an adjective, and speaks of His Person and work.

“Counselor” — His wisdom in government.

b.      “The Mighty God” — the omnipotent, supreme Ruler.

c.       “The Everlasting Father” —the Father (or “Source”) of eternity. Eternal Himself, He confers eternal life on those who believe in Him. Vine comments: “There is a twofold revelation in this: (1) He inhabits and possesses eternity (57:15); (2) He is loving, tender, compassionate, an all wise Instructor, Trainer, and Provider.”

“Prince of Peace” (Sar-Shālôm) — the One who will at last bring peace to this troubled world. –Adapted from MacDonald, W.

                                                                   ii.            He is also the “Mighty God” (cf. 10:21). Isaiah had already spoken of the Messiah doing what no other person had been able to do (see 9:2-5). Isaiah understood that the Messiah was to be God.

                                                                  iii.            This Deliverer will also be called the “Everlasting Father.” Many people are puzzled by this title because the Messiah, God’s Son, is distinguished in the Trinity from God the Father. How can the Son be the Father? Several things must be noted in this regard. First, the Messiah, being the second Person of the Trinity, is in His essence, God. Therefore He has all the attributes of God including eternality. Since God is One (even though He exists in three Persons), the Messiah is God. Second, the title “Everlasting Father” is an idiom used to describe the Messiah’s relationship to time, not His relationship to the other Members of the Trinity. He is said to be everlasting, just as God (the Father) is called ”the Ancient of Days“ (Dan. 7:9).  –Walvoord, J.

3.Daniel Declared Christ’s Deity (Dan. 7:13, 14).

                                                                     i.            In Daniel 7:9, Daniel pictures the fifth and final world empire—the glorious kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ; He will be given universal dominion. Daniel saw the “Son of Man” approaching “the Ancient of Days” referring to God the Father. The Son of Man is the Lord Jesus, coming before the Father to be invested with the kingdom. Jesus Christ, frequently used this title the “Son of Man” to refer to Himself (Mark 8:31; John 1:51).

                                                                   ii.            The Ancient of Days sits as a Judge in court (vv. 10, 26). When the Son of Man was brought into His presence, all the authority, glory, and sovereign power that had been exercised by rulers in the four kingdoms over all nations (Dan. 3:4, 7; 4:1; 5:19; 6:25) was conferred on Him and those peoples serve and worshiped Him. This is consistent with the Father’s promise to the Son in Psalm 2:6-9, and will be fulfilled at Christ’s Second Advent (Matt. 24:30; 25:31; Rev. 11:15).

                                                                  iii.            The little horn and his empire are destroyed (v. 11). The other world empires also cease, but the nations and people continue (v. 12). The Lord Jesus’ universal dominion shall never be superseded (v. 14; Dan. 4:34; 7:27). Christ’s kingdom will never be conquered by another (Dan. 6:26). His reign will be established on earth (Rev. 20:1-6). At the expiration of the 1,000 years of the Lord’s millennial reign, He will surrender the kingdom to God the Father, after which Christ will be appointed as Ruler over God’s eternal kingdom forever (1 Cor. 15:24-28).

                                                                 iv.            This role of the Son of Man can only be fulfilled by the God-Man, Jesus Christ.

B.     It is Declared in the New Testament—Where does the New Testament say Jesus is God?

1.Consider the Testimony of John (John 1:1-3; 20:26-31; 1Jn. 4:14; 5:10-13, 20). The First thing John Established in His Gospel is the deity of Christ.

2.Consider the Testimony of Luke (Luke 1:31-32, 35; Acts 3:13-15; 7:59; 8:37; 9:20). The Record of Luke in his gospel and the book of Acts Declared Christ’s Deity.

3.Consider the Testimony of Paul (Gal. 2:20; Col. 1:15-17; Col. 2:9; 1Tim. 3:16; Titus 2:13).  One of the strongest Proofs of Christ’s Deity come from the pen of Paul.

4.Consider the Testimony of The Revelation (Rev. 1:18; 5:11-14; 19:16). John unmistakably portrays Jesus Christ, The Lamb, as God throughout the book and all of heaven worshipped the Lamb.

C.     It is Declared in the Sinlessness of Christ—Could Jesus sin?

1.With Regard to His Practice. Jesus never committed a single sin (2Cor. 5:21; 1Pet. 2:22; Heb. 4:15; 1 John 3:5).

2.With Regards to His Evaluators. Several others testified to Jesus’ sinlessness (John 19:4, 6; Matt. 27:4, 19, 23;  Luke 23:41, 47).

3.With Regard to His Nature. Jesus actually could not sin—he is perfectly holy and his deity and humanity abides in one indivisible Person. His temptation experiences were not to see if he would or could sin, but to prove He would not.

4.Jesus, being divine, was impeccable (could not sin), but this does not mean he could not be tempted. Satan tempted him to disobey the Father by self-gratification, self-display, and self-aggrandizement (Matt. 4:1-11), and the temptation to retreat from the cross was constant (Luke 22:28, where the Greek for “trials” can be translated “temptations”; Matt. 16:23; and Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane). Being human, Jesus could not conquer temptation without a struggle, but being divine it was his nature to do his Father’s will (John 5:19, 30), and therefore to resist and fight temptation until he had overcome it. From Gethsemane we may infer that his struggles were sometimes more acute and agonizing than any we ever know. The happy end-result is that “he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted” (Heb. 2:18).  –Packer, J. I.: Concise Theology

5.The purpose of the temptation was not to see if He would sin, but to prove that even under tremendous pressure He could do nothing but obey the Word of God.

If Jesus could sin as a human being, we are faced with the problem of His still being a human in heaven. Could He still sin? Obviously, no. –MacDonald, William

III.             The Humanity of Jesus Christ—Why believe Jesus is truly Human?

A.     The Virgin Birth Incarnation of Christ—How and Why did God become a man?

What is your favorite Christmas account or passage? Chances are we will look at a few of them as we contemplate how and why the Word became a Man.

1.The Facts of Incarnation (John 1:1, 14; Rom. 1:3, 4; Gal. 4:4; Phil. 2:6-8; 1Tim 3:16). God became a man, Jesus was royalty in the family of David, He was made of a woman, not a woman and a man, and clearly God was manifested in the flesh!

2.The Prophecies of the Incarnation (Isa. 7:14; 9:6, 7; Micah 5:2; Luke 1:31, 35; Matt. 1:20, 21)

3.The Reasons for the Incarnation

                                                                     i.            To reveal the invisible God (John 1:18; 14:9-11).

                                                                   ii.            To fulfill prophecy (Gen. 3:15; Gal. 4:4).

                                                                  iii.            To minister to the needs of a hurting world of broken peoples (Luke 4:16-21).

                                                                 iv.            To make sacrifice for sin (Heb. 2:9; 10:4, 5, 10, 12; 1Jn. 3:5; Mark 10:45).

                                                                   v.            To reconcile man to God (2Cor. 5:19; Heb. 2:17; 1Tim. 2:5, 6).

                                                                 vi.            To destroy the devil and his work (Heb. 2:14; 1Jn. 3:8).

B.     The Human Experiences of Christ—Does Jesus really understand humanity?

The human experiences of the Lord Jesus undeniably demonstrate that He was indeed possessed of a human nature. Someone has said that if it looks like a duck, quacks like a dock, swims like a duck, waddles like a dock, and flies like a duck, it is because it really is a duck. Likewise the Lord Jesus gave every indication that He is perfect humanity.

But, how does this fact assure us that He really understands us in our human experiences? The book of Hebrews holds the answer in several places (Heb. 2:16-18; 4:14-16).

No trial is too great, no temptation is too strong, but that Jesus Christ can give us the mercy and grace that we need, when we need it. “But He is so far away!” we may argue. “And He is the perfect Son of God! What can He know about the problems of weak sinners like us?”

But that is a part of His greatness! When He was ministering on earth in a human body, He experienced all that we experience, and even more, After all, a sinless person would feel temptations and trials in a much greater way than you and I could ever feel them. Christ was tempted, yet He did not sin; and He is able to help us when we are tempted. –The Bible Exposition Commentary

1.He asked questions and increased in wisdom (Luke 2:40, 46). If you are challenged while attempting to understand the things of God or ever perplexed about life, be assured that the Lord Jesus understands this.

2.He prayed to His Father (Mark 1:35; Luke 11:1; Matt. 26:36-39).

3.He experienced hunger and thirst (Matt. 4:2; 21:18; Jn. 4:6, 7; 19:28).

4.He was weary from labor and required rest for His body (Mark 4:37-41; Jn. 4:6).

5.He expressed compassion for fractured and lost humanity (Matt. 9:36).

6.He experienced anger and grief (Mark 3:5).

7.He wept and shed tears (Isa. 53:3; John 11:35; Heb. 5:7).

8.He literally died (Matt. 27:50; 1Cor. 15:3; Phil. 2:8).

9.He was tried, tested, and tempted in every way possible, but He endured it all successfully (Heb. 4:15, 16)!

                                                                            “No One Understands Like Jesus,”

At one time I had a fairly responsible position with a well-known gospel ministry. One day a supervisory position opened up in my department. I was led to believe that I was to be promoted to this position. I was thrilled and challenged by the prospect of a new job. But I was by-passed, and a man from the outside was brought in to fill the position. There followed days of agonizing heart searching. It was all I could do to keep from becoming bitter. One night I had occasion to spend an evening with the man who was brought in for “my” position. For some reason or other, though otherwise a very pleasant fellow, that night he became quite caustic in some of his remarks to me, and I was deeply hurt. Later that evening, after returning home, I was sitting in our living room thinking about the events of the past days and about the bitter experiences of that evening. I began to feel very alone and forsaken. Suddenly, I sensed the presence of the Lord in an unusual way and my mind was diverted from my difficulties to His faithfulness and sufficiency. Soon the thought occurred to me that He fully understood and sympathized with my situation—in fact, no one could ever completely understand or care as did He. Before long, the idea for the song came and I began to write—

No one understands like Jesus. He’s a friend beyond compare; meet Him at the throne of mercy; He is waiting for you there.

No one understands like Jesus; ev’ry woe He sees and feels; tenderly He whispers comfort, and the broken heart He heals.

No one understands like Jesus when the foes of life assail; you should never be discouraged; Jesus cares and will not fail.

No one understands like Jesus when you falter on the way; tho you fail Him, sadly fail Him, He will pardon you today.

Refrain: No one understands like Jesus when the days are dark and grim; no one is so near, so dear as Jesus—Cast your ev’ry care on Him.

Learn to handle human disappointments and rejection even as Joseph did by realizing this truth—they meant it for harm, the Lord meant it for good (Genesis 50:19, 20). Be thankful for Jesus who understands and will never disappoint. –Osbeck, Kenneth W.: Amazing Grace (Job 23:10; Ps. 112:7; 131:2; 139:2; Prov. 14:26)

                                                                   ii.            No one can truly sympathize with someone else unless he has been through a similar experience himself. As Man our Lord has shared our experiences and can therefore understand the testings which we endure. –Believer's Bible Commentary

                                                                  iii.            It may indeed be argued, and has been, that only One who fully resists temptation can know the extent of its force. Thus the sinless One has a greater capacity for compassion than any sinner could have for a fellow sinner. –The Bible Knowledge Commentary

C.     The Self-Awareness of Christ—Did Jesus Know who He was?

Remember the single Person of Jesus Christ retained the entire complex of divine qualities and through His incarnation obtained the entire complex of perfect human attributes. There was no mixture of the divine and human attributes. Christ possessed two natures, unmixed, unchanged, and undivided. Christ Jesus was always conscious of His deity and He grew in self-consciousness of His humanity. Where in the Bible did Jesus actually acknowledge that He was the God-Man, The Messiah, or the Son of God?

1.Christ’s visit to the Temple as a Child Clearly Indicates He Understood who He was (Luke 2:41-52). Note the phrase “My Father’s business” (Luke 2:49).

2.Christ’s inquiry with His disciples about His identity undoubtedly Points to His convictions about His full identity (Matt. 16:13-21). Note the words of verse 17.

3.Christ’s first Passover visit to Jerusalem during His public ministry strongly suggests He was fully aware of who He is and His purpose (John 2:13-25). Note verse 16.

4.Christ’s baptism and anointing Certainly Indicated He Knew Who He was (Matt. 3:13-17). Notice the phrase “This is My Beloved Son” (v. 17).

5.Christ’s temptation by Satan in the wilderness Surely Pointed to His Awareness of Who He Was (Matt. 4:1-11). Notice the phrase “If Thou be the Son of God” (v. 3, 6).

6.Christ’s Sermon on the Mount Strongly Stated that He Knew Exactly Who He Was (Matt. 7:21; Matt. 5-7). Consider the statement “I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” Also consider the recurring phrase “But I say unto you” (v. 22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44). Then consider the Lord’s words in Matt. 7:21-29.

Conclusion:

Many facts point to the conclusion that Jesus Christ is God; many others lead to the conclusion that He is truly human; at the same time we see only one Person moving across the pages of the gospels. This union of undiminished deity and perfect humanity forever in one Person is called the doctrine of the hypostatic union (that is, the union of two hypostases or natures), and this is the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. –Ryrie, Charles

One Solitary Life. This famous but anonymous piece summarizes the importance of Jesus and His great impact on our world in the last two thousand years:

He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman.

He grew up in still another village, where he worked in a carpenter's shop until he was thirty. Then for three years he was an itinerant preacher.

He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house. He did not go to college. He never visited a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things one usually associates with greatness.

He had no credentials but Himself.

He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen centuries [and now, nearly twenty] have come and gone, and today he remains the central figure of the human race, and the leader of mankind's progress. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on this planet so much as that one solitary life.

This is an amazing tribute. It seems overstated, to claim that one person could have a greater impact on this world than the combined armies, navies, parliaments, and kings of history. Yet, I believe that when the truth about Jesus is known and understood this statement is altogether appropriate and true.